Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) is an expensive blood product licensed in Canada for the treatment of six medical conditions, primarily primary and secondary immunodeficiency diseases. As IVIG is derived from human plasma collected from multiple Canadian blood donors or purchased from the United States and Europe, it is subject to periodic shortages and carries the risk of adverse events.

To ensure that enough IVIG is available for patients likely to benefit from the treatment, the BC PBCO operates an IVIG Utilization Management Program. All requests for IVIG use are screened to make sure that IVIG is used in accordance with provincial guidelines. Requests for adult rheumatology patients are screened at the provincial level. Other IVIG requests are screened at the hospital or regional level. The goals of the program are to promote appropriate use of IVIG and to minimize product waste.

IVIG Request Module

IVIG Utilization Management Program Guidelines (June 2009)

TMS IVIG Screening Request Form

IVIG Patient Pamphlet

IVIG Process Flowchart

Procedure Template for Evaluating a Request for IVIG Approval

Procedure for Processing IVIG Requests for a Rheumatology Patient

Procedure for Completing a Request for IVIG

Procedure for Assessing a Trough IgG Level for an IVIG Request

Procedure for IVIG Dosage Adjustment Letter

Physician's Order for IVIG

Canadian Blood Services IVIG Information

Trends in IVIG Utilization in British Columbia AABB Poster Presentation (October 2009)

Centralized Screening of IVIG Adult Rheumatology Requests in BC CSTM poster presentation (June 2009)

IVIG Utilization Management Handbook (2002)

Systematic Review of IVIG for Dermatomyositis (January 2008)

Systematic Review of IVIG for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (June 2007)

Systematic Review of IVIG for Wegener’s Granulomatosis (May 2007)

Systematic Review of IVIG for Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Blistering Diseases (December 2006)